For more than two dozen players who have spent the better part of a month in Broncos uniforms, the clock will strike done this weekend.

And for the guys down the Broncos’ depth chart, beyond the starters who likely will get tonight off, the preseason finale in Arizona against the Cardinals will be their last opportunity to make a good impression.

“You really try to just take it day by day,” said undrafted rookie quarterback Adam Weber, who is expected to get his first game action with the Broncos tonight. “You can get called into the coach’s office any morning. So you show up, ready to work, ready to get better and do that as many times as possible and try not to worry about the rest.”

Far easier said than done, especially for many players who have been with the Broncos since training camp opened July 28. With no offseason team workouts this year because of the NFL lockout, new players only have had about a month of workouts and three preseason games to earn spots on the Denver roster.

NFL teams must cut from their current 80-player rosters to 53 by late Saturday afternoon. Even if a player feels pretty good about making it to 53, there is no guarantee he will be safe beyond that.

The Broncos, because of their 4-12 record last year and because of a long list of roster needs, are expected to be active in waiver-wire claims. That means they likely will acquire several players through the weekend and possibly into next week.

“It’s their last opportunity to show something. Hopefully it’s a good one,” Broncos coach John Fox said. “There are probably eight to 10 jobs still up in the air. There are two types of pressure: the pressure you feel and the pressure you apply.

“At this point in the game, you want to do well in this last audition.”

The Broncos have been relatively settled in the starting lineup, with rookie outside linebacker Von Miller and rookie offensive tackle Orlando Franklin inserted there when camp opened.

But the Broncos, at some positions, have a bunch of backups fighting it out. One of those positions is running back.

While the Broncos are likely to claim a running back on waivers this weekend, Lance Ball, Jeremiah Johnson and Brandon Minor are battling for what might be one job. Spencer Larsen and rookie Austin Sylvester are fullbacks who also could be battling for one job.

“I tell any young player, ‘You can’t worry about making mistakes,’ ” said Kyle Orton, Denver’s starting quarterback. “I think the coaches know the pressure they’re under and the limited amount of reps they get sometime, so there’s going to be mistakes on the field. So don’t play it safe. Play as fast as you can. Try to do something special to catch somebody’s eye.”

The Broncos also will be searching the waiver wire to bolster their depth on the offensive line — especially at backup tackle and guard. That means it’s important for the Denver linemen who have worked in the offense through training camp — players such as tackles Herb Taylor, Chris Clark and Adam Grant, a rookie — to play well tonight.

Safety is another hot spot, with the Broncos having used two of their nine draft picks this year to strengthen that position. Two former Denver draft picks — David Bruton and Darcel McBath — have been pushed down the depth chart by Kyle McCarthy and rookies Rahim Moore and Quinton Carter.

Bruton just returned to practice from a concussion that required him to spend a night in a hospital. So it’s unclear how much he will play against the Cardinals.

“No doubt, I remember being a rookie. Cuts were coming up and I remember being very nervous,” starting linebacker Joe Mays said. “It just seemed like you can never get comfortable. Coaches are always going to mention cut day is coming, so you’ve got to perform. The tougher it gets, the better the rookies have to perform. It’s like the hot seat.”

Said Fox: “This game’s about what to do and how to do it under pressure. That’s why you put a little more stock in games, no matter if it’s preseason, regular season or playoffs. You see how they handle it.”

Four assistant basketball coaches at Division I schools and a top Adidas executive were among 10 people charged Tuesday with crimes including bribery and fraud as part of a wide-ranging federal investigation into corruption in college basketball.

CenturyLink, the telecommunications company that ended its sponsorship agreement with Broncos linebacker Brandon Marshall because of his protests during the national anthem last year, said it will not terminate its agreement with current client Emmanuel Sanders.